Traveling suction type floor cleaner



Nov. 20, 1962 A. H. BAHNsoN, JR, ETAL TRAVELING SUCTION TYPE FLOOR CLEANER 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 18, 1960 Nov. 20, 1962 A. H. BAHNsoN, JR, ETAL 3,064,299

TRAVELING sUcTIoN TYPE ELooE CLEANER 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 18, 1960 Nov. 20, 1962 A. H. BAHNsoN, JR, ETAL.

TRAVELING sUcTIoN TYPE FLOOR CLEANER 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 18. 1960 Nov. 20, 1962 A. H. BAHNsoN, JR, ETAL 3,064,299

TRAVELING SUCTION TYPE FLOOR CLEANER Filed April 18, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 United States Patent Oce 3,064,299 Patented Nov. 20, 1962 3,664,299 TRAVELING SUCTION TYPE FLOGR CLEANER Agnew H. Bahnson, Jr., and Eames F. King, Jr., both of 1001 S. Marshall St., Winston-Salem, N .C. Filed Apr. 18, 1950, Ser. No. 22,900 2 Claims. (Cl. 15-312) This invention relates to suction type equipment for cleaning doors, particularly the aisle areas between adjacent rows of textile processing machines such as spinning frames, looms and the like. In a spinning room, for eX- arnple, the improved suction type floor cleaner is arranged to travel overhead such as along a trackway located longitudinally of and above the frames. The cleaner may be self-propelled along the trackway or it may be constituted as a trailer unit coupled onto another type of self-propelled cleaner unit which is adapted to blow air downwardly in the direction of the spinning frame so as to clean oit the latter and blow the lint onto the oor where it can then be picked up by the suction unit in accordance with the present invention.

The improved suction type floor cleaner may be constructed to clean only one aisle at a time but preferably is arranged as a dual unit which travels longitudinally of and above the frame, one unit cleaning the aisle oor adjacent one side of the frame and the other unit cleaning the floor of the next aisle adjacent the opposite side of the frame.

In accordance with the invention, the improved traveling suction type lloor cleaner is comprised of a carriage which travels overhead in a direction longitudinally of the aisle, a suction trunk extending downwardly from the carriage into the aisle and terminating in a suction nozzle disposed adjacent the aisle floor, a storage trunk also extending downwardly from the carriage along side of the suction trunk for storing lint which is sucked up from the floor, this storage trunk preferably being provided with a normally closed discharge opening through which the stored lint and other particulate material can be removed periodically as the storage trunk iills, and fan means for creating the necessary suction in the suction trunk to draw up the lint and transfer it to the upper end of the storage trunk.

The suction fan can be of the centrifugal type having an impeller and scroll, in which case the upper end of the suction trunk is placed in communication with the air inlet to the impeller and the upper end of the storage trunk is similarly placed in communication with the air discharge point from the scroll. Thus lint laden air drawn upwardly through the suction trunk passes through the impeller into the scroll and thence into the upper end of the storage trunk. Preferably an upper portion of the wall of the storage trunk is made sufficiently porous to permit air to be discharged through it thus retaining the lint and other particular matter in the storage trunk which then drops by gravity to the bottom and fills the storage trunk from the bottom up. This mode of lling the storage trunk, i.e. from the bottom up is of material assistance in packing lint into the trunk and hence increases its effective storage capacity thus lengthening the interval between successive clean-outs. Moreover, the long, comparatively large diametered storage trunk provides an optimum volumetric capacity and the discharge opening at the bottom simplifies the problem of emptying. Also, the upper porous wall portion of the storage trunk may be made somewhat transparent so as to permit visual inspection of the interior and thus enable one to determine when the trunk needs to be emptied. The desired trans parency can be established by making the porous wall por. tion from a mesh material which is of sucient iineness` to trap the lint and yet coarse enough to permit the ai1 to liow through and one to also see through.

As an alternative, the upper porous wall portion may be relatively non-transparent so that it functions only to permit the ow of air therethrough and the desired transparency for visual inspection may be established by incorporating a window which can be made of any suitabletransparent material such yas glass or polyethylene sheeting.

When constructed as a dual unit for simultaneous cleaning of adjacent aisle floors at opposite sides of a row of textile processing machines, the traveling carriage supports a pair of cleaner assemblies disposed laterally outward from the track on which the apparatus travels; each such assembly including a fan, a suction trunk and a storage trunk. Preferably the fans'are driven from a common motor located centrally on the carriage through suitable transmissions such as a belt drive. t

The foregoing objects and advantages of the inventionl will become more apparent from the following detailed description of one practical embodiment thereof as ap plied to a dual unit for simultaneously cleaning the aisles on opposite sides of a row of spinning frames, and from the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a view in top plan of the dual unit cleaner;

FIG. 2 is a view in side elevation of the cleaner inassociation with the spinning frame and with certain parts drawn in section;

FIG. 3 is an end View of the cleaner in association with the spinning frame;

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal view of the storage trunk with the discharge outlet opened; FIG. 5 is a bottom plan of the storage trunk; l

FIG. 6 is a view in elevation of the lower portion of the suction trunk including the suction nozzle; and

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6 but taken at a right angle thereto.

With reference now to the drawings and in particular to FIGS. l-3, the traveling cleaner is seen to be comprised of a carriage 10 which can be towed, but in the illustrated embodiment is designed as a self-propelled unit adapted to run overhead on a trackway 11 which extends longitudinally of a row of spinning frames, part of one such frame being indicated at S. The trackway 11 is conventional, being supported at intervals on posts l12 upstanding on the frame S itself. The details of the selfpropelled carriage have not been included since they do not per se constitute any part of the present inventive concept. Moreover, various constructions for motorized carriages are already well known for use with traveling cleaners of other types adapted to blow off various parts of the spinning frames. Electrited conductor rails, not shown, extend parallel with the trackway, and collector shoes on the carriage, also not shown, runin contact with the rails so as to provide electric power for energizing the electric motor used to propel the carriage along the trackway. These electrified rails and shoes are also conventional and hence have been omitted in the interest of simplifying the disclosure.

Located laterally outward to each side of carriage is a casing 13 in which is supported a complete fan which is illustrated as being of the centrifugal type and which includes an impeller l14 and a scroll 15. The air discharge outlet 16 from scroll 15 is arranged trangentially and the air inlet 17 to the impeller 14 is arranged axially of the axis of rotation. Impeller 14 is mounted in suitable bear ings for rotation about a vertical axis and the drive shaft 1 8 .of the impeller extends upwardly through an opening in the top wall of the casing 13. A drive pulley 19 is secured tothe upper end of drive shaft 1S and a belt 20 extends from pulley 19 to another pulley 2-1 located on thevertical drive shaft 22 of an electric motor 23 the rotor of which is mounted for rotation about a vertical axis. Motor 23 which is supported by a central part of thercarriag'e 10 thus serves to drive the impellers 14 of b othf'suction fansA and can derive its power from the same electrified rails as are used to furnish power for propulsionof the carriage. Y

The bottom wall 13a of each casing 13 is spaced from the Abottoin wall of the scroll 15 as shown in FIG. 2 so that the nspace therebetween constitutes a plenum chamber 13b whichvisin communication with the air inlet 17 to impeller 14 of the suctionrfan. The bottom wall 13a of Veach casing also'is provided with two circularV openings. A' 'connecting'sleeve 24 is fitted into one of the openings and'serves'vtosupport the upper end of a section trunk 25 whichfextends downwardly and terminates in a nozzle 2,76., This nozzle is provided with an elongated reetanguV lar inlet 26a located closely adjacent the aisle oor F so ais'to drawA in lint and other particulate material which may beon the oor as the suction trunk moves along the aisle. 4The long axis of the nozzle inlet 2641 is placed transverse to thedirection of motion of the trunk 25 so esto provideV an optimum condition for taking up lint from the aisle. Various means ymay be provided for attaching the top of such trunk 25 to connection sleeve 2K4'and'ra conventional clamping strap 27. has been il- Y lustrated.

The Vsuction,trunk 25 is preferably made from a somewhat flexible material but which, however, has sniicient body to prevent collapsey under suction. One suitableV material is neoprene reinforced with wire and is sold u nder the trade name Flexaustf Y' Y d"I'twill'be ynoted from the drawings and from FIGS; 6 and 7 in particular that a shortV length ofv chain 28 Ais secured atrneV end to a ring type anchor plate 29 that is riveted to one wall of the nozzle 26 and is provided with a conventional snap hook 31 at the other end for fastening onto the lower end of a storage trunk 32.

Anotherconnection sleeve 33 fitted into the other opening in the bottom wall 13a of each casing serves to support'rthe upper end of the storage trunk 32 which extends downwardly along side of suction trunk 25. Trunk 32 serves to store lint which is drawn up through the suction Vtrunk 25V into'the fan and passed out of the scroll 15. While't-he entire storage trunk cuold be made from porous materialrso as to permit air to low therethrough arndl trap the lint `inside of it, it is preferred to restrict` the porous section tothe upper part thereof which would normally be located above the level of any Vobstructions such as a doing and donning cart or the like which may 'be standing Vin the aisle as the cleaner moves along'it.

upon thesame by a clamping strap 36.

The -upperend of sleeve 33 is connected to the rectangular outlet from scroll by means of atubular transit??? 37 nel? @aaa-.targhe flexible. material.-

near the bottom and there changes over to a rectangular configuration by means of a rigid rectangular frame 39 inset into the material and secured thereto.

Connected to each of the four sides of frame 39 is a llap 41 and these are adapted to be folded inwardly so as to overlap each other and-close the bottom of the storage trunk 32. One of the flaps is provided with a staple 42 and the ap opposite thereto is provided with a complementary slot 43 through which the staple ex tends as the flaps are infolded. After infolding, the hook 31 on the end of chain 28 is then snapped in place through the staple thus holding closed the lower end of the storage trunk. When the trunk 32 has become filled with lint, the suction cleaner unit is stopped, the lower end o f trunk 32 opened and thevlint drawn out of the bottom into a suitable receptacle. The diameter of the storage trunk is preferably made as large Vas practical sol as to provide maximum storage volume. In one practical embodiment, the storage trunk has aY diameter of 7" and the suction trunk a diameter of 5". The length of the trunks 25 and 3 2 are about 80".

asV a tubular element along side of the suction trunk as distinguished from a storage compartment located else-V where are that it provides a more practical and larger storage space thus lengthening the intervals between con- Y secutive clean-outs and simplifying removal of'the lint. Moreover, the upper portion of the trunk being of a mesh'material is sutiiciently transparent to permit visual observation of the amount of lint storedi Also, the lint tends to drop =by gravity and by the air pressure yto the` lower part of the trunk, thus filling the same from the bottom up and providing for optimum packing of the lint. Y

In lieu of usingrra mesh type of material to develop Y improved traveling type suction cleaner for aisleviloors,

the particular details Vmaybe departed-from in various respects without `departing fromthe spirit and scope ofy the invention as dened in the appended claims.

We claim: Y

l. In a suction type deviceA for cleaning aisle areas between rows of textile processing machines, the combination comprising an overhead carriage movable longi-v tudinally of the aisle, a suction fan on said carriage having an inlet and an outlet, a suction trunk extending downwardly in the aisle and connected at its upper end to the fan` inlet, a suction nozzle at the lower end of said suction trunk adjacent the aisle floor, a storage trunk extendingV downwardly in the aisle and connected atritslupper-end to,` the fan outlet,rsaid storage trunk having a discharge vopening at the lower end thereof constituted by interfrolding.V

flaps, one of said flaps being provided with a staple and another of said aps being provided with a complementary slot to receive said staple, and meansV including a chain secured to the lower end of said suction trunk and having a snap hook at the'rend thereof engageable with said staple for holdingthe flaps Vin their infoldedY position and for interconnecting the lower ends of said radiali. and Sforaaetrunks.

The Yadvantages of constituting the lint storage compartment for the cleaner 2. In a suction type device for cleaning aisle areas between rows of textile processing machines, the combination comprising an overhead carriage movable longitudinally of the aisle, a suction fan on said carriage having an inlet and an outlet, a suction trunk extending downwardly in the aisle and connected at its upper end to the fan inlet, a suction nozzle at the lower end of said suction trunk adjacent the aisle floor, a storage trunk extending downwardly in the aisle and connected at its upper end to the fan outlet, said storage trunk being of substantially the same length as said suction trunk, and means interconnecting the lower ends of said suction and storage trunks.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Ford Jan. l0, 1922 Smith Jan. 3, 1933 Siegenthaler Sept. 8, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS France July 13, 1954 France Dec. 16, 1958 OTHER REFERENCES 1958, page 4. 

